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Letters and feedback: Feb. 15, 2018

Florida Today
Published 8:10 a.m. ET Feb. 15, 2018

American Shaun White celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's snowboarding halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics at Phoenix Snow Park in Pyeongchang, South Korea.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports)

First, for the record, I am a smoker and I stand firmly in agreement that smoking in public parks, especially children's play areas, should be banned.

The question becomes one of enforcement. I do not agree with a recent opinion contributor that additional taxes on cigarettes should be added, as that will not stop those who disregard signs or consider the world their trash bin.

Second, I am a super-considerate smoker. I use designated areas and dispose of the filter appropriately. I do not discard anything on the beach — it is my responsibility to leave a clean footprint. As my smoking friends can attest, they have been admonished more than once by me with the phrase, "You have the legal right to smoke but you do not have the legal right to litter."

Which leads me to a potential solution: All levels of law enforcement should ticket any person observed littering. I do not know what fine levels could be imposed but I am sure they are already on the books. Hit those who disregard the no-littering law. Make them pay for the constant refuse they leave behind, whether it be cigarette butts, fast food bags, cans, plastic or anything else. And, I hope the fines are sizable.

Linda Crawford, Cape Canaveral

Funding cuts to NASA unwise

Where do I even start with cutting funds to NASA?

LED technology, ear thermometers, shock absorption materials for human prosthetics robotics which help in more functionally dynamic artificial limbs, cordless vacuums, de-icers for airplane wing, cutting grooves in concrete so we don’t skid.

Radial tire technology, firefighting gear, Tempurpedic mattress for a good night's sleep, memory foam for your shoes, the heart pump which was a collaboration between Dr. DeBakey and NASA to keep people alive while waiting for a transplant ... I could go on for pages.

This is the agency from which Trump wants to cut funds? Be careful what you wish for – be very careful.

Laura Petruska, Melbourne

Snowboarder disrespected flag

I just watched Shaun White's triumph in Olympic snowboarding. I note that the United States' only gold medal performances at that time were for newer events such as his, which may explain much.

What I deplore is that after he completed his final performance, he was more concerned with his equipment than he was with our nation's flag, which he left dragging in the snow.

What I decry is the continued practice of people who provide our nation's most solemn symbol as some article of clothing after an athletic triumph.

What I detest is the continued disregard of the standards for display and respect for our flag as defined in the flag code, 36 U.S.C. 173-178. Our funding paid for White's training, equipment and participation in the Olympic Games. The least he could have done was to show proper respect for the symbol of his nation and benefactors.

F. N. Skarvelis, Indian Harbour Beach

Get tougher on illegal calls

Another day filled with illegal telemarketing calls, both live and robocalls. We now get three times as many of these as we get legitimate calls, in spite of being on the government "Do Not Call" list.

I have contacted both of my U.S. congressional representatives, who have responded with statistics on the number of laws that have been passed to fight this. The problem is, these laws are being ignored. Most of the calls are of the "robot" variety that don't identify the caller unless you jump through their hoops. About half are "spoofed," displaying a false number that makes them appear as if they originate locally. So, what good is reporting a false number that can't be traced? Call blocking is not effective because the originators use multiple phone lines. If you block one, they use another.

I have resorted to using a recorded greeting, instructing "real" callers to speak before I will answer, but I am sure that I have missed important calls because of this. The ability to "spoof" should somehow be eliminated. The irritation and damage it causes outweighs the possible benefits to a select few. Those being called should be able to easily identify the true source of the call. And, there should be real consequences for those who abuse the system.

Charles Deming, Melbourne

Think hard at the polls

President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal is outrageous. The $4.4 trillion budget proposal comes with a $7 trillion budget deficit over 10 years that will add to the national debt that future generations will have to pay.

It appears that successive presidents of both political parties are more interested in short term benefits than in long term fiscal austerity. Many people want to see a balanced budget. Not me. What I want to see is a budget surplus. That is the only way we can possibly pay down the morally shocking national debt that is approaching $20 trillion.

If average American families ran their budgets the way our government runs its, our entire country would be bankrupt in short order. I know some Republicans will praise President Trump for his courageous increase in the defense budget, but it is insane to keep spending money we don’t have to placate citizens today at the expense of future generations.

If our government continues to spend more money than we take in, it will result in inflation, higher interest rates and higher taxes or devaluation of the dollar, any of which would severely affect lower and middle–class citizens. We need to elect politicians who are fiscally responsible. Think about that when you go to the polls this year — and especially in 2020.